Survey on Snow Leopard under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies

Tags: National News

Recently, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) conducted a survey on Snow Leopard, which gives some interesting information about the Snow Leopard and its prey species.

Main features of the study

• The ZSI study highlights a strong link between habitat use by the snow leopard and its prey species such as the blue sheep and Siberian ibex.

• According to this study, snow leopards are more likely to be detected if the site is used by its prey species.

• According to the study, habitat variables such as barren areas, grasslands, slopes and distance from water were major drivers of habitat use for both the snow leopard and its prey species.

• Predators such as the snow leopard control populations of herbivores such as the blue sheep and Siberian ibex, thereby protecting the health of grasslands.

About Snow Leopard

• Scientific name- Panthera uncia

• It is a Schedule-I species of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• It can be found in alpine and subalpine regions at altitudes of 3,000–4,500 m in Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, Mongolia, Siberia and western China.

• In India, it is found in Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand.

• The snow leopard is listed on the IUCN Red List of World Conservation Species.

• India has been a part of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Conservation (GSLEP) program since 2013.

• Snow Leopard Project: This project was launched in the year 2009 to promote an inclusive and participatory approach to the conservation of snow leopards and their habitat.

• Snow Leopard Conservation Breeding Program has been started at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal.

About Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) 

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) was established on July 1, 1916 in the then 'British Indian Empire' with the objective of promoting pioneering survey, exploration and research to provide information on various aspects of prosperous life.

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), is an organization under the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

• It originated in 1875 with the establishment of the Zoology Section at the Indian Museum in Calcutta.

• It is headquartered in Kolkata and presently its 16 regional stations are located in different geographical locations of the country.